Son of top Democrat found dead at frat house after overdosing on alcohol and sedatives

A popular student who died suddenly at his University of Arizona fraternity house had accidentally overdosed on a cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol, an autopsy has revealed.

Wilson Forrester, 19, the son of Tennessee Democratic Party chairman Chip Forrester, was found dead at the Phi Gamma Delta House last month.

According to a post-mortem, he had taken a combination of painkillers, anti-anxiety drug Xanax and alcohol which together proved lethal.

Sudden death: An autopsy revealed student Wilson Forrester, seen here with Bill Clinton, died after an accidental overdose of alcohol and sedatives

Mr Forrester was pronounced dead at around 9am on April 2 at Fiji's fraternity house, after friends called an ambulance when he collapsed.

The unexplained death of the popular business finance student prompted an outpouring of grief from friends across campus.

Mr Forrester comes from a prominent political family in Tennessee, and he proudly displayed a photo of himself with former president Bill Clinton on his Facebook page.

Former vice-president Al Gore attended a memorial service for the sophomore, held at his high school in Nashville.

Father and son: Wilson Forrester pictured with his Democrat father Chip when he was at high school in Nashville,Tennessee

Well-liked: Wilson Forrester, pictured here with two friends, was a popular figure at the University of Arizona, where he studied business finance

At the time Mr Forrester's father, chairman of the state's Democratic Party, said: 'Our family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of support during this trying time. Your thoughts and prayers give us strength.

'While Wilson’s death is tragic, his life was not. Wilson had an absolute passion for life and he adventured through each day with a sense of purpose and an open mind.'

His fraternity brothers at Phi Gamma Delta, or Fiji, refused to
comment. One told local news channel KGUN: 'We're getting over it and
whatever you guys can find by yourselves, that's pretty much it.'

Toxicology tests showed Mr Forrester had taken a
combination of Xanax, the anti-anxiety drug, oxycodone, a painkiller,
and alcohol.

Tributes: Mourners brought photographs and flowers to a memorial service for Wilson Forrester held at his old high school last month

Connected: Former Democratic vice-president Al Gore attended a memorial service for Wilson Forrester held a week after he died

Individually none of them were of a high enough dose to kill him, but together they proved fatal.

A spokesman for the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center said mixing sedatives and alcohol can make victims too sleepy to realise they're ill.

His father, Chip Forrester, said: 'College students today are woefully unaware and ignorant that combining these substances can be fatal.

'There is little to no education being done on college campuses and at fraternities about this danger.'

The University of Arizona rates its fraternities and sororities on a
scale from 'chapters of excellence' to chapters who have lost
privileges.

Tragic death: Wilson Forrester died at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house after taking an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs

According to KGUN, in 2010 Fiji was rated as a 'chapter of promise', just one step above probation.

Johanne Jensen, the assistant dean who oversees fraternities, told the channel a chapter's alcohol education efforts can affect its ratings.

The University of Arizona, which has more than 30,000 undergraduates, has a reputation as a 'party school', and was ranked as Playboy's fifth 'hardest-partying' college in 2009.

Phi Gamma Delta was founded in 1848 and has 138 chapters at campuses across the U.S. and Canada.

Since then, more than 166,000 men have been initiated into the fraternity. Famous brothers include Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, golfer Jack Nicklaus and actor John Ritter.